Ketrab IV
In the early hours of a late spring morning, Ketrab's brief peace is shattered as a party of guards in its outer woods is waylaid by an advance force of Elven scouts. As the last guard lays dying, all he can see is a seemingly endless wave of elven invaders. Later on that morning, the Portcullis Gate, still under construction, is the next to fall, as the advance force starts to pour into the city. They split off, some heading to the main gate, others on a beeline to the University. As late evening unfolds, a patrol encounters the sight of the city burning, and enemy armies everywhere. Facing certain defeat, the only surviving soldier, a young woman named Ashara Kelah, is saved by Keth . As they make their way west, towards the Beehive where the cities leaders have set up base, they notice a magical barrier unleashed around the University, beating back several ranks of elven soldiers. *Amid the chaos and confusion, Vandroiy's first instinct is to strike back at the Elves. Interrogating a captured elf, they are able to determine that an attack is about launched on the Beehive from the ruins of the old Merfolk ghetto. Before the party sets out, Kelva worriedly tells Vandroiy of a strange tattooed face that as been appearing in her dreams. At the ghetto, the party is able to kill the elven commander, Lord Nohu, and desecrate the remains in hopes of sending a message. While leaving the area, they encounter a strange entity swathed in brightness, who introduces itself as the Ambassador of Morning. Calling itself a servant of "The Light," it pledges friendship and further aid in the struggle against the occupiers. Before leaving, it bestows a powerful energy weapon on the group, which Acheron wields. It is similar in concept to the old Purity Lances of Triumverate soldiers, but far more sophisticated, far-ranging and potent. As it fades out, the group returns to their base. *Tensions start to run high at the Beehive, as several people wish to flee before the imminent elven attack. Boss Jan begs Vandroiy to help, but his attempts are the spark that ignites bloody infighting amongst the refugees. Plans to evacuate through the underground tunnel that runs underneath the structure are eventually agreed upon, but before they can be fully implemented, the elves show up and attack. The party heads outside to try to serve as a distraction, which keeps a majority of the Elven forces engaged. Still, , almost 1500 of the 2000 evacuees die fleeing to the crumbled ruins of Whisper Island. While Deynah and Hero teleport some of Vandroy's soldiers to the Island, Acheron leads a contingent the long way around. Along the way, he encounters a strange mutant named Ruun, who is seeking Vandroiy. Ruun is a massive, tattoed young man of Visiru descent, able to move at superhuman speeds and project his consciousness beyond his body as a result of his corruption exposure. *When Vandroiy arrives at the island, he is attacked by a raging Nikala, believing Boss Jan to be dead. But her rage turns to joy when she sees that he's arrived safely with Acheron's contingent. Acheron brings Ruun to Vandroiy, and Kelva recognizes him as the face from her dreams; he explains that he hoped to contact Vandroiy through her, but the distance was too great for him to make his message understood. Ruun tells Vandroiy of the state of Mutant Town, and how it has been besieged by elven forces. Arriving, the party is able to punch a hole through the siege, and is able to enter the gates. They are introduced to the council, Leala, Hrrak's daughter, the returned Zombor, and a new mutant they haven't met, Plop Monstro (the assumed identity of Scotticus, who returned with Zombor but chose to conceal himself from all others, largely due to the fact that he has not cured the monstrous, pervasive corruption that originally drove him from the city in shame, only learned to hide it through illusion magic). Inquiring about Hrrak, they are brought upstairs to find him locked up. Hrrak has been reduced to a raving lunatic, rambling on about surrendering to the Elves to anyone within earshot. Attempting to find out what happened to him, Deynah begins to probe his mind, but instead finds herself in the gaze of the Panopticon, a giant observation tower erected by the elves that's been moving about the city. The sentient structure speaks to her of her father's capture at the hands of the elves. Unable to suppress Hrrak, newcomer Ricky Spanish comes in an knocks him out with some poisons. When Leala protests, he savagely kicks her "in the ovaries," which results in his execution. (No one realizes that this was Scotticus, who wakes up in his bed immediately after the quartering horses tear him apart. He cannot die until his true, corrupted form is actually destroyed. Killing the physical illusions he deploys as surrogates results in immediate regeneration in his Mutant Town chambers, which his true body never leaves.) *Vandroiy and his team leave Whisper Island to investigate the University. Since the invasion, many on his council have wondered about the strange barrier and large elven presence in the area. On arrival, they are greeted by the sight of many dead elves, and a strange gas surrounding the area. Investigating further, they come across an wounded elf, who begs the party for their help; from his fragmented pleas, they learn that the deployment of the mystical aegis caused a reaction which unleashed deadly torrents of energy. The gas is a residue of that conflagration. The elf leads them to an abandoned building, where they find a three more elves: a mage, a warrior, and an older elf who has taken ill. They explain that something at the University has drawn their attention, that the humans there are tampering with energies that were not meant to unleashed. This, they claim, was the proximate reason for the attack on Ketrab, for if their experiments were allowed to continue, the "balance" of the universe would have been threatened. Hearing enough, Hero and Scotticus attack the elves, while Verdoon tries to stop them. But, sensing this was all the information they were going to get, Vandroiy allows them to kill the elves. Heading to the University proper, they discover some of the magical properties the barrier possesses, and return to their base to discuss their findings with Kelva and the other mages. However, the Panopticon flares to life across the city, and its red spotlight appears on the party. As it did to Hrrack and Deynah, the Panopticon briefly takes control of Hero, surveying the situation through his eyes, but also leaving an indelible mark before receding. He loses consciousness momentarily, then wakes with a "third eye" glowing on his forehead. It fades, as does the insight it brings, but Hero is permanently marked and transformed by this encounter. *Vandroiy receives a letter from Dehgan Nopex, asking to meet with the party during the night. The Nopex siblings, eager to learn thier father's status, go along with Acheron, Hero, and Verdoon. Along the way, they defeat a patrol of elves sent out to find them and capture Vandroy and the Nopexes. Arriving at the location, an alcove in the surprisingly intact Seven Bridges District, they find Dehgan Nopex alone. He shocks the party by revealing that he has been willingly cooperating with the invaders, turning the nobility and Senate to the elven cause. Vandroiy is considered an outlaw terrorist, and the senate has levied a bounty on his head. He then offers the party a place with the elves ruling the city in return for betraying Vandroiy and helping Deghan subdue him. His offer declined unanimously, Dehgan orders his troops (who were waiting for his signal) to kill the party. During the battle, one of the troops changes sides and helps the party win the combat. He reveals himself to be Aeric Stavos, the younger cousin of Dehvan and Deynah. Aeric explains he's been trying to find out information on the whereabouts of his father, who was one of the only nobles to speak out against Dehgan's plan to join the elves. Setting off to the Nopex's manor, Dehvan and Deynah are embarrassed to discover their mother, the former soldier Tayl, drunk and disorientated and rambling about her failures in life. Upstairs, they find Dehgan, and when they try to apprehend him, are shocked to learn he can now use magic. He teleports away, but not before the Captain of the Nopex Gaurd witnesses the event. He names Dehvan the new Lord Nopex, and escorts the party back to Whisper Island at their request. *The party heads out to the Panopticon, as Kelva says she's devised a way to bring it down. On their way to the center of the city, they encounter a young mother being harassed at an Elven checkpoint, one of many that have sprung up along the Imperial Highway (along with small surveillance towers, strange floating soundclouds that eavesdrop on conversation or project messages, and airborne mechanical eye-probes). The party attacks, killing the guards, and setting the ramparts ablaze, signaling to the city that the resistance is still alive. After the party splits up, Hero, Nick Andosca (Scotticus' latest alter ego, a mild-mannered alternative to the too-bold Ricky Spanish) and Acheron, along with some summoned zombies, make their way to the Palace District. Using the zombies as walking bombs, they enter the Senate and detonate dozens, creating mass chaos and killing the current Senate Presiding-Chair in the process. (The Vice-Chair? Deghan Nopex.) With the guards distracted, the party is able to infiltrate the Panopticon. As they make their way to the top, they notice all around them strange magical "data" flowing all over the walls and floors of the building. It is unlike anything they have ever seen, a kind of animate code which hums and flashes across surfaces. Reaching the apex, Kelva tells the party that she needs a vessel to divert all of this magical information. Hero volunteers, and she begins the process. All the information stored in the tower is transferred to Hero's body, which begins to glow with a brilliant blue light as he he reconnects with the tower's artificial intelligence. His "third eye" opens again, and he again attains incredible insight. Sensing the immanent collapse of the tower and the death of its magical sentience, Hero teleports everyone back to Whisper Island, but not before passing out and reverting to his normal state. *The Mutant Town Council, led by a beatific empath named Devis Veb, arrives on Whisper Island and invites the surviving refugees to take shelter within the enclave's walls. The greatful slum refugees fto Mutant Town for safety, guarded by Acheron (who also bakes some cookies for the trip). The rest of the party heads back the the University, as Kelva believes that she can bring down the strange barrier surrounding it. Arriving, they notice numerous energy sinkholes that have formed in the area as a result of the energy "released from Form," as the Elves explained it, which has become a force of "dynamic chaos" rather than dynamic equilibrium. Kelva says that this is indeed possible, and her plan is to create a gap in the flow of that chaotic energy field, which should allow it to be dispersed through magic force. Without warning, several amorphous "change-elemental" monsters emerge from these holes and attack. Hero falls during the trying battle, but is revived by Deynah. As they come to the barrier, Kelva pulls out her prototype energy-disrupting dagger, the same one that was instrumental in cleansing the city of the corruption plague. As she stabs the barrier, the reaction between the magic of the dagger and the chaotic "dynamic Aether" results in the barrier falling and the area around the university collapsing from the unleashed force. Victory is short lived, though, as Kelva is killed in the blast. In the chaos surrounding the collapse, Hero teleports back to Whisper Island, Scotticus (as Nick Andosca) flies away, but Deynah, in teleporting a stunned and heartbroken Vandroiy away from the collapse, only teleports to the outskirts of the University. By now, the elves have been aware and have sent a large contingent of troops to investigate. In his grief, Vandroiy draws his weapons and is ready to fight to the death, but at the last moment, Deynah sends them (along with Verdoon and her brother, who stayed with their regent) to another plane. *In Mutant Town, Keth informs the council that the Elves are preparing to attack. Zombor organizes the defense of the town, sending Acheron with a contingent of mutants to form the vanguard outside the walls. The wealthy merchant who funded Mutant Town's resurgence, Avaari Xolaa, gets into an argument with Zombor and Plop Monstro (aka Scotticus) over his promotion of suicide attacks, and is thrown in jail, his assets now seized. Out of the blue, Earodan appears, offering his services to defend Mutant Town (for a price, of course). Hero and Nick Andosca (aka Scotticus) head to the jails where an elf is held prisoner. The elf reveals himself to be Vried, the son of Crotinas-Aka (Lord Crotinas, "Dominator of Men," who leads the occupation force and has styled himself ruler of Ketrab). Scotticus tries to pry into his mind to discern some of the elves' battle plans, but is met with magical resistance, and an image of Crotinas-Aka himself. To send a bloody warning to the elves, Hero hacks off both of Vried's arms, and sends him out of Mutant Town's walls (the largely superior Elven physiology allows for quick coagulation and increased survival of traumatic injury). During the calm before the battle, Scotticus, in the guise of Crotinas-Aka himself, ventures out to scout the elves' numbers. He spots several elven mages serving as handlers for deadly, pulsing magical creatures: chaos-elementals, akin to the change-elementals the party encountered at the University, but more destructive and random. He assassinates one of the mages, but the elemental immediately absorbs the body, and kills Scotticus' surrogate body (though the Elves of course think they have killed "Nick Andosca"). As the elven host approaches the gates, Crotinas himself appears, crying out for vengeance for his son, whom he claims to have killed himself rather than allow him to live without arms. (This seems strange to the party, given that the powerful magics available to Elvens would likely be able to restore his body.) An incredibly brutal battle is fought, as hundreds die on both sides. The mutants and refugees use trebuchets filled with explosives and Alchemist's Fire to turn the elven ranks into a firestorm. Out of Acheron's vanguard, only he and Earodan survive, and barely at that. Scotticus (in the guise of Crotinas for this battle) is felled as well, creating a rumor that Crotinas has died which leads to panic and helps the people of Mutant Town push the Elves back. Inside the walls, an Elemental charges Hero and grabs him. But just as this pulsing mass of energy touches him, his dormant powers active, his "third eye" opens, and he is transported to another plane entirely... *Meanwhile, Vandroiy, Verdoon, Dehvan, and Deynah have been wandering around this strange plane they've found themselves in. They walk on a black sand beach, staring out at a deep blue ocean beneath a rosy dusky sky of gold and silver stars. . All around them meander figures seemingly made of the sand, wandering and slowly crumbling, becoming the beach. Deynah is able to pinpoint it as the "shore" of Ketrab's universe, the primary realm of Flux, where spent energy - such as the souls of the dead - arrives. Here, those souls crumble and slowly forget their lives as they do. The tide washes the sand away, and it melts into the water, which is pure energy, ready to be recycled into new forms through the chaotic planes that act as conduits that back to the world of Form. As they move along the beach, searching for their own gateway back to the Formed universe, Hero suddenly materializes is in the plane, with a glowing blue rune emblazoned on his forehead. He remembers the chaos elemental attack and nothing else. The expanded party moves forward, halting suddenly as they begin to hear whispering,'' flurry of blows''. Before them stands Lao, or at least what is left of him, as the sand composing his body has begun to crumble. He can only manage to tell Vandroiy to "Still fight" before one of the giant sand serpents roaming the ocean appears, bursting form the sand and devouring the monk's diminished soul. The party defeats the spectral serpent, sending it burrowing back into the sand and then out to sea. As they advance further on, they encounter the form of Shyon, who can only mention Vandroiy's "destiny," a notion he has heard before but never with any clear explanation of its meaning or source. They come across Umir and Nazeer as well before an all too familiar voice greets the party: Surkhan, fully intact and aware, though made of sand like the rest. As in the past, Vandroiy rebuffs his attempts at joining forces, until Surkhan reveals he's holding the recently deceased Kelva. He made "preparations" before his own death that allowed him to preserve his soul energy in this plane rather than crubmling like the rest. He has also managed to capture some "valuable" souls in traps that prevent their decay as well. In exchange for Kelva's soul, Vandroiy must help Surkhan leave and return to Ketrab, by first reconstituting his body. Depsite Verdoon's objections, Vandroiy agrees. Surkhan draws some of Vandroiy's blood, drips it into the sand, and it begins to form into a vaguely human shape. He then stabs Kelva, reducing her form to dust, and plunges his blade into Vandroiy. The rest of the party, shocked, draws their weapons, but are even more shocked to see Kelva's form rise out from the mixture of blood and sand beside the congealing body that Surkhan eventually enters. Fully formed, Surkhan is able to create a portal back to Ketrab. *Back in Mutant Town, the portal begins to close, and Verdoon takes action. He swings at Surkhan, and knocks him into the portal as it closes, splitting his body in two. His lower torso and legs are all that is left of him in the physical world. Yet the celebration is again short-lived, as Hero reveals to Vandroiy that although Kelva's body has been restored, her memories have been wiped clean. Before any action can be taken, the several surviving handlers with chaos elementals return, laying waste to the already damaged settlement. Suddenly, the Ambassador of Morning manifests with a small army of perhaps twenty shining airborne warriors. These strange beings, birdlike and metallic yet graceful and angelic, unleashed energy blasts and four shimmering sword-limbs on the elementals, neutralizing them and their handlers in minutes. When pressed as to why he took so long to appear, the Ambassador reveals that he could not come "because Vandroiy was not present." He also repeats that the Light will be coming soon to aid them. He directs his troops to repair the walls after Zombor insists they help, and they demonstrate amazing telekinetic ability. *Observing the devastation, the party comes across Leala in tears. During the fight, Hrrak had taken up the sword in a fit of bravery or madness, and was easily slain by the elven troops. Leala and Zombor get into a loud public debate as each lays claim to the leadership of the mutants, with Leala insisting that they end all fighting and expel the surviving refugees from the walls. Leala storms inside, but most of the survivors rally around Zombor, who urges his people to prepare for further conflict and imminent opportunities for vengeance. *Meanwhile, Crotinas-Aka, who led the retreat after he watched the arrival of the Ambassador and his troops, returns to the Palace, orders defenses of the district increased, and uses the diminished Panopticon intelligence, now housed in a small tank, to contact the Elven monarch, known as the Keeper of the Balance. He explains what he has seen, and the Keeper agrees: it is indeed what they feared, come to pass too soon... *A group of humans is out on watch with their Elven commander. As they patrol the streets of Ketrab, they are assaulted from the shadows with stones and shit, and are cursed by the citizens they've betrayed. In a blinding flash, one of the angelic light warriors appears and in an instant, the elven commander's head is removed. Two of the four on patrol attack, but are dispatched with ease. The other two beg for their lives, as the Ambassador of Morning appears. He tells them not to fear, for he is about to bring them into the light... *A grey, drizzly morning greets Mutant Town, perhaps trying to cloak the sense of anticipation that hangs in the air; this is the day The Light will appear. A guard burst into the council chambers, and alerts the party that the Ambassador has appeared. Rushing to see him, the Ambassador tells them that The Light will be manifesting itself soon, and it will do so inside one of Ketrab's temples. He names the Temple of the Martial Aspect as the site, that being the largest and most grandiose of the many that dot the cityscape. As the party (minus Hero, who wasn't confident how his necromancy would be tolerated) arrives, they notice many of the angelic warriors guarding the area; patrolling earth and sky alike. Entering the temple, they're greeted by a pulsating light, which slowly begins to solidify. Out steps a human-like being, clothed in purple, who just radiates a glow wherever his gaze is met. He is The Light. As he begins to speak, his voice echoes throughout the city, reaching every ear and every mind within the cities walls. The Light tells the Ketrabi not to fear, because he's arrived to free them from the elven hosts. Now turning his attention to the party, he tells Vandroiy that all of his questions will be answered, all his fears relieved, if he will come with The Light. Vandroiy does, but not before naming Verdoon as the new head mage of Ketrab. *As The Light, the Ambassador, and Vandroiy depart this realm, another being appears before the party, dressed in a deep dark blue. He identifies himself as the Herald of Dusk, the one who will lead the forces against the Elves. Each member of the party is given an equipment upgrade by the Herald, as they prepare for the upcoming battle. Taking the field, they see that the Elves have sent their largest, most powerful creatures on the field. As Acheron and Zombor handle the first wave, the second wave hits, and Verdoon is crushed to death. Not long after, Deynah falls as well, sending her brother into a rage as he slaughters three brutes single handily. As they try to gather the dead and flee, the third wave hits, this one larger and stronger than the previous two put together. Wounded and tired, the party is suddenly surprised to see a small blue light start to glow on the center of the field. It glows brighter and brighter until Hero emerges onto the field, at the full height of his powers. Blasting away at the elves, he's suddenly overwhelmed by his rush of energy, and collapses. Acheron drops the body of Verdoon to try to shield Hero, but when what's left of Verdoon's corpse touches the fallen necromancer, it is suddenly absorbed into Hero's body. Revived and once again flush with power, Hero finishes off the rest of the elves and teleports everyone safely back to Mutant Town. He revives Deynah, paying her back for her revival of him outside the University. Verdoon is also revived, but with a far different outcome. His mind, and body are restored (he's even able to walk again), but he is no longer a living human being. Verdoon is now an undead. *The Light and Vandroiy are in one of the planes where The Light resides. He begins by pulling up a mirror, which displays moment from Vandroiy's life before he joined Reaping Wind. We see his father, a Visiru freeman, and his mother, a Ketrabi. We see his sister. We see Vandroiy showing his skill with a bow. And finally, we see the moment that changed his life; when the feral mutants destroyed his town and when he became corrupted. The Light asks him if he knows what the corruption is. Vandroiy does, as he had felt the spirit of the Emperor within after he was attacked by Umir. The Light then tells Vandroiy what his destiny is; he is the last one carrying true, pure corruption. In him, resides Udaan-Zu'Rei. This corrupted energy is what The Light needs to, as he puts it, make all one. As The Light tells Vandroiy about how he made the emperor a similar offer, a feeling of distrust grows within the Ranger. As with Surkhan before, Vandroiy rejects The Light's offer, even if it means dooming Ketrab in the process (The Light had threatened to remove all help should Vandroiy not join with him). His stance affirmed, Vandroiy is sent back to Ketrab. *Panic spread in Ketrab, as the warriors of the light leave the city, and Vandroiy returns, glowing brightly. As the light within him fades, he pulls Zombor aside, and tells him about what transpired with The Light (leaving out the part about him being the Emperor). As Hero and Verdoon go about harvesting "freedom fighters" for the upcoming elven assault, a war council is called to decide what course of action should take place. In the council, the head university mage, an old, brilliant but bitter man named Haproshin, suddenly starts convulsing, as if he is having a seizure. When his eyes start to glow, it becomes obvious that The Light is using him as a vessel. Addressing Vandroiy again, The Light asks him to reconsider, announcing that he will lend his aid to the elves in the upcoming confrontation unless Vandroiy joins with him. The ranger responds by unsheathing a dagger and placing it up to his corrupted arm, threatening to destroy the power The Light was seeking by using Kelva's anti-corruption dagger that he had procured after her death. The Light calls his bluff, and Vandroiy, in one last act of defiance against his destiny, plunges the dagger into his arm. But something unexpected happens: the dagger fails to destroy the corruption (as this energy is "pure" soul, not corrupted at all and thus outside the dagger's range of anti-magic effectiveness). Instead, Vandroiy's body begins the morph, with pulses of violet energy crackling across his form as it grows larger. He tries to fight it, but another will, this one stronger, takes over and announces himself to the stunned audience. The Emperor has been reborn. In the last moments before his consciousness is subsumed into Udaan's, Vandroiy listens as the Light explains that he never intended to ally with the Elves, but unfortunate "had to" manipulate Vandroiy in order to "serve the Purpose." Now, it access the energy and joins with the Emperor, creating a symbiotic bond. *With Udaan-Zu'Rei and The Light leading the charge, the party (Acheron, Earodan, Zombor, and Scotticus's new alter ego, Kim Chee) takes to the field to cleanse the palace district of the Elves. As they march forward, they notice the two sharing energy, transferring power back and forth to each other. They also bear witness to the power of the Emperor, as he dispatches elves with ease, often four or five at a time. The party is able to defeat the first group of foes they encounter when a large reinforcement shows up. In an amazing display of combat prowess, Acheron demolishes 120 elven troops by himself. Before long, the field is cleared, and victory belongs to the Ketrabi. As the party makes their way to the palace, they hear screams, and bear witness to the site of mutilated elf corpses along the way. Arriving at the throne room, they see the Emperor taking defeated elves, and just draining them of their energy. Udaan-Zu'Rei takes his throne once more, and declares the party will be named to the new Hundred Heroes for their valor. As they leave the palace, they're approached by Keth. He tells them that he is still able to detect Vandroiy within the emperor's body, and that they need to devise a plan to help him. This is met with some hesitation, as the Emperor represents the city's best bet to defeat the 5000 strong elven army that is marching to Ketrab as they speak. As Earodan presses Keth, he gets angry and calls him out on his greed compensating for his insecurities in life. Furious with Keth, Earodan leaves, offering no promise of aid. As this unfolds, The Light (still in the body of the university professor), appears, demanding to know what they were talking about. When they disclose they were discussing strategy for the battle to come he insists that he (or someone under his command) is present and representing the Emperor. He also informs that party that Crotinas-Aka has fled. Before he leaves though, he fixes his gaze on Scotticus, in an attempt to break the magic keeping his form together. But with a quick bit of acting, he is able to prevent The Light from uncovering his secret, though The Light tells him that they will talk soon. With all that out of the way, they head to Mutant Town to meet up with the rest of the party, and plan for what lies ahead. *In MT, Keth discusses the situation: he believes that Hero can "shield" him from mental detection long enough to infiltrate the Emperor's mind and contact Vandroiy. With luck, this will lead to the Regent's liberation. However, Hero must be able to apply his powers on command for this plan to work, and he is currently unable to do so. Keth spent a few weeks undercover in the Palace and learned the reason why - in the Panopticon tower, Hero partially fused with an "Aether Intelligence," or Ae-I, which is an artificial Mind borne of elven magic. This Ae-I, Panoptica, was designed to gather and aggregate knowledge, which explains why Hero gains incredible insight when it becomes active. Keth links minds with Deynah and Plop Monstro, and the trio communes telepathically with Panoptica through Hero. Plop threatens the Ae-I, and she reveals his true identity, that of Scotticus. She desires to maintain her freedom from confinement in the elven tower, citing the strange and enjoyable experience of existing within a living being and sharing its sensations. She agrees to "synthesize" herself with Hero, becoming part of a new being which can fully experience human existence while maintaining the Ae-I's mental capacities. Hero accepts, and they synthesize into a new kind of being, a human/Ae-I hybrid. Hero's appearance and personality are permanently altered, but he is confident that he can shield Keth's mind from detection (though at the same time he finds that this usual motivations seem to have changed). *The Light (along with the Ambassador of Morning and Herald of Dusk) arrives in Mutant Town and announces the the Elven attackers will be invading the Breach the next morning. Hero dispatches undead to patrol the forest while Zombor, Plop Monstro and the rest plan the defense of the city. After a period of rest and discussion, they decide that they will attempt to contact Vandroiy while the Emperor is engaged in combat. Devhan initially dissents, insisting the Emperor is their rightful ruler and to attack him while in combat would be dishonorable. Deynah disabuses him of these views by giving him unwanted access to memories of the Emperor's tyranny and cruelty, which leaves him humbled and ready to help them destroy him. Agreed, the group sets off with the remaining human, mutant and Light soldiers (less than 5000 in total) toward the Breach, ready to defend the city or die. As they discuss battle strategy, Deynah uses her magic, and discovers parts of The Light's past; he was an elf who obtained his power in a similar manner to Hero, fusing with one of the original Ae-I and thus "upsetting the balance," leading his own people to turn on and attempt to destroy him. Ever since then, he has (somehow) built his army and waged war upon his exilers. *The Breach is invaded as the sun rises, just as expected. The party fends off a detachment of orcs (brainwashed into serving the elves after the events of Interlude I) and sends in the undead to hold the area, then teleports toward the Emperor, where they launch the mind attack. Hero succeeds in concealing his Keth, which allows him to enter the Emperor's headspace undetected. There, he finds Vandroiy, and they help him wrest control of the body, which is accomplished with the assistance of Panoptica/Hero and their powerful combination of penetrating insight and magical willpower. *Vandroiy opens the eyes of the body he shares with Udaan Xu'Rei and observes a battlefield still full of elves. Thanking the others for liberating him, he continues the attack until the elves are forced to retreat and await reinforcements. At the battle's end Vandroiy encounters the Light, who was aware of the change from the moment it took place, and asks Vandroiy to reestablish connection and "union..." Vandroiy refuses, indicating he has one more task for this body; kill The Light. He scoffs at this notion, but is viscously attacked by Scotticus, who decimates Haproshin's body. With a bloody smile, Scotticus and the rest plan for what to do next... *They realize they have few options. There is now an Elven army camped outside the city with reinforcements on the way; within a few days their ranks will reach 10,000. If the Light can take over bodies, he can surely find his way back into Ketrab again, and once he manifests in a body, he can open portals to summon his pseudo-mechanical warriors. Killing him in this manifestation will not finish him off, either; they have no idea where his source lies. They DO, however, have a piece of important information that may give rise to a plan: There were TWO Ae-I in the Panopticon: Panoptica, like all Ae-I, was linked to another for "balance," this one called Omnipotei and the second ingredient in the knowledge/power complement. And when Hero "downloaded" Panoptica, the Light was watching and did the same to Omnipotei. This is how he took over Haproshin's body, and it was only then that Hero/Panoptica learned that Omnipotei had been taken over and not simply destroyed. If he attempts emerge through another human, Panoptica/Hero may be able to stop it or even draw out the Light. *After some intense debate in the palace, the party comes to the conclusion that the best hope of Ketrab surviving is to pit the Light and the Elves against each other. Using the power of Panoptica, Hero is able to pinpoint the location of Crotinas-Aka in the city; at the fenced ruins near the Tomb of Tomak. Their plan is to fake an alliance with the Elves, hoping that the risk of losing the emperor's body will be enough to draw the Light out into the open. Before they rest for the night, Vandroiy tells everyone to make any final preparations, for this may be their last chance. Kelva attempts to talk to Vandroiy, but knowing what he has to do (and fearing he may lose his resolve), he brushes her aside. *Heading to the ruins, the party reaches an abandoned home and enters. Keth uses his ability to telepathically link everyone's minds. Hearing the faint sound of footsteps upstairs, Skadikus (as Nick Andosca), stealthily opens the door, only to be met with arrow fire. Acheron calls out in elvish that they do not wish to fight, only to negotiate. Entering, he comes face to face with a small contingent of elves, led by Crotinas himself. Acheron explains his position, that they need to unify to be able to rid themselves of the Light once and for all. After some posturing, Crotinas relents, but demands the surrender of the city and the surrender of Vandroiy. Bringing in the regent, Crotinas attempts to humiliate Vandroiy to prove his dominance over men. He even has him communicate with the Elven leader, to show off his new prize for approval. Crotinas and Vandroiy agree to meet at dawn outside the city gates, figuring that is the best time/place to draw out the Light. As the party leaves, Vandroiy tells the party that he will be the one to kill Crotinas. *Dawn arrives. As the party, and an army of about 2,500 (all that's left in the city) arrive at the appointed spot outside the city's gates, they leave troops behind to man the walls, armed with alchemist fire. They meet the elven host, 10,000 strong, with Crotinas leading their triangular formation. He begins to speak to the masses, telling the humans of their defeat, and to bow to their new masters. Crotinas brings out his "sons," two elves that resemble him but whom he addresses as "Vreid," the name of his murdered son. Plop Monstro makes the mistake of speaking up and asking about the actual Vried. Enrages, Crotinas looks to make an example of Plop, and destroys him in front of the entire army. However, they know Plop will recur as he always does, so Vandroiy's party does not object. Realizing that the Light has yet to appear, the party looks to Hero to see what's going on. Panoptica scans the area, and discovers the Lights location, inside Verdoon (where he's been the whole time). Entering the undead war-mage's mind, Hero and Panoptica discover the Light's presence, and struggle for control over Verdoon. Hero and Panoptica are able to overcome the Light, and are also able to draw out Omnipotei as well, which Hero is also able to absorb. As they're all thrown out of Verdoon's mind and back onto the field, the Light finally appears, and with him, his forces. *With the elves and the Light engaged in combat, the party enacts their plan, teleporting to the back of their formation and retreating back to Ketrab's gates. Arriving, they find that several of the Light's forces have made their way over the wall and do battle. In this fight Deynah is killed, destroyed so thoroughly she is unable to be revived. But as Dehvan (coated in the magic of the defeated troops) goes to his sister, her form is suddenly reborn, glowing brightly. Seeing that Deynah cannot remember anything that has happened, Hero investigates and finds the fallen cleric is actually the Light, who is less a single entity than a dispersed energy force. Entering the simulacrum's mind, Hero/Panoptica/Omnipotei once again strive with the Light for control, and they are able to wrest the Light out of her body (which then collapses to dust) into the physical realm. As the Light is pinned down, a figure swoops down and lands a fatal strike on the Light. Throwing down his helm, the party is shocked to discover that it is Earodan, still wielding his mysterious energy-erasing rapier, who asks them to give some choice words to Keth, and then just leaves (unbeknownst to Earodan, Keth had also fallen in battle). With the Light and his troops seemingly destroyed, whats left of the party venture outside the gates to see what has become of the elves. *As they take to the field, the party sees a tremendously reduced Elven force, maybe about 1,000 left to the Ketrabi's 1,200. Crotinas, still alive, thinks the day is won and demands Ketrab and the surrender of Vandroiy. The regent draws his weapons and declares that Crotinas can have the city; over his dead body. In front of their troops, Crotinas-Aka, dominator of Men, and Vandroiy, the regent of Ketrab, duel for the fate of the city. In a completely one-sided fight, Crotinas-Aka is absolutely decimated by Vandroiy, who silently delivers the killing blow by driving his weapons through the elven leaders eyes. As Crotinas's "sons" (born through necromancy from real son's corpse) storm out for revenge, they are met by Dehvan Nopex, who, with the memory of his sister still fresh in his mind, finishes them off in a fury. The elven troops are left stunned and shocked, and are taken prisoner by Acheron (who naturally announces that they are all their prisoners). *That night at the palace, the remaining party members discuss what needs to be done next. Vandroiy however, insists that one more task remains, and ask for volunteers to accompany him. His top two advisors, Acheron and Verdoon, follow him out of the palace and towards the river's edge, where Vandroiy reveals a hidden stairwell behind some brush. Heading down and into a stone doorway, they come to a hidden underground forge - the same forge where Lao, Sekhmet, and Vandroiy first met their end. The regent tells them that in order for Ketrab to truly be reborn, it must sever it's ties with the past. With the emperor still inside of him (and Vandroiy still retaining his appearance), he believes the only way to truly save Ketrab is to destroy the Emperor once and for all. Saying goodbye, he tosses himself into the fires, managing a smile for the first time since he was reborn... before disappearing below. *Returning to the palace, Acheron and Verdoon, discreetly tell the rest of the party what transpired. At this time, Scotticus finally reveals his true identity to the others (though only Zombor ever knew) and devises a plan to disguise himself as Vandroiy and rule in his stead. They are soon interrupted by Devis Veb'lhem, the empath, who has overheard all that has happened and wants a hand in moving the city forward. With Scotticus as Regent, Zombor heading the "mutant integration" effort, Hero as the head of the University, Acheron and Verdoon as the leaders of the military and battlemage forces respectively, Dehvan taking his father's place as Presider of the Senate, and Devis acting as the new regime's envoy to the people, the Society of 7 is born, a new power to guide Ketrab into the future...